• Food insecurity refers to a lack of access, at times, to enough food for an active, healthy life for all household members and limited or uncertain availability of nutritionally adequate foods. Food-insecure households are not necessarily food insecure all the time. Food security may reflect a household's need to make trade-offs between important basic needs, such as housing or medical bills, and purchasing nutritionally adequate foods (Feeding America, 2020). 

• Low-income census tracts where a significant number or share of residents are more than ½ or 1 mile (urban) or 10 miles (rural) from the nearest supermarket, also referred to as food deserts, are included in the Food Access Research Atlas map below. 

References:

• Feeding America. (2023). Map the Meal Gap, Catawba County. Retrieved on March 3, 2023 from https://map.feedingamerica.org

• United States Department of Agriculture. (2022). Food Access Research Atlas. Retrieved on March 30, 2022 from https://www.ers.usda.gov/data-products/food-access-research-atlas/go-to-the-atlas/.

• Catawba County Public Health - WIC

• Catawba County Social Services - SNAP and Senior Nutrition

• Catawba County Public Health Farmers Market

• Downtown Hickory Farmers Market

• Conover Farmers Market

• Greater Hickory Cooperative Christian Ministry

• Eastern Catawba Cooperative Christian Ministry

• Hickory Soup Kitchen 

• Corner Table

• Cooperative Extension

• Catawba County Food Council

• School Districts

In 2020, the Catawba County Food Council selected the overarching strategies of community gardens and farmers markets to support equitable access to health foods and culturally appropriate resources. The strategy selection process included the work group members rating each strategy idea as high, medium, or low on the criteria of leverage (short-term: 3 years, intermediate: 3 to 5 years, and long-term: 10 years), feasibility, values, and specificity. The work group then reviewed the rating survey results, discussed each strategy, identified the overarching strategies based on related themes of the strategies selected, and determined, based on the criteria and rankings, which strategies should not be included in the community health improvement plan.

In 2021, the Catawba County Food Council updated their overarching strategies to target food pantries and farmers markets. The Food Council had met with volunteers with community gardens and found that the majority of gardens were already donating produce within the community and were accessible to local community members. The Food Council met with the two largest food pantries, Greater Hickory Cooperative Christian Ministry (GHCCM) and Eastern Catawba Cooperative Christian Ministry (ECCCM) to assess culturally appropriate foods and resources and identify education needs for community members. 

What are the programs and/or interventions recognized as best practices? 

• SNAP Double Bucks/ Double Dollars programs

• Education for food pantries to share on how to use frequently received foods and food safety

• Expansion of grocery stores into food deserts

What are potential low cost and/or no cost ideas for immediate improvements? 

• Contacting local volunteers and experts to provide education 

• Convening all partners and community members to discuss food access

• Hosting healthy cooking demonstrations at the farmers markets

• Partnering with the YMCA to use their mobile kitchen for healthy cooking techniques

• Promoting available resources (farmers markets, community gardens, food pantries, etc.)

• Promoting awareness of programs and resources available related to food access 

• Sharing information on healthy eating and resources with the childcare community

• Social media campaigns

What data is needed to better inform the work? 

• Dollar amount of SNAP Double Bucks redeemed

• Number of people receiving SNAP Double Bucks

• Number of adults who eat at least 5 servings of fruit and vegetables daily at the county level

• Number of grocery stores near food deserts and/or number of corner or convenience stores in food deserts

At the Catawba County Food Council meeting on January 24, 2022, work group members reviewed and updated their current strategies based on what was working well, what was not working well and/or could be removed or changed, and how these strategies impact health disparities in Catawba County. 

Strategies: Food Pantries

• Develop education for food pantries on:

  • Food safety (thawing, freezing, temperatures, safe storage)

  • Food preservation (freezing)

  • Easy, family friendly recipes using commodity foods 

  • Translate recipes into Spanish and other languages as needed

Strategies: Farmers Markets

• Maintain and sustain farmers market SNAP Double Bucks and WIC Bonus Buck programs

• Find sustainable funding

• Educate community on SNAP/EBT use and Double Bucks programs at farmers markets

• Community health worker position at Hickory Farmers Market

• Expand number of farmers and farmers markets that accept SNAP/EBT

• Educate local farmers at farmers markets and hobby farmers on how to donate their fresh produce to food pantries

• Virtual education on SNAP/EBT